A recent Zefmo Influencer Marketing Report survey revealed that an overwhelming 78% of respondents consider influencer marketing the primary method for driving public and political awareness.
The report offers insights into the evolving influencer marketing landscape in India, based on data from over 200 brands and 2,500 influencers, emphasising the growing role of influencers in business strategies, digital marketing, and consumer engagement.
In recent years, politicians in India have increasingly turned to influencer marketing as a powerful tool to reach and engage voters. With the rise of social media platforms, influencers—once primarily focused on promoting brands—are now playing a crucial role in shaping political narratives and driving public discourse.
The Zefmo report mirrors this growing reliance on influencers as it highlights a significant shift in how political campaigns are conducted, blending traditional methods with digital strategies to connect with a tech-savvy electorate.
'Influencers Bridge Politics and Public Communication'
The report reads, "This prominent role of influencer marketing in political messaging represents a critical shift in the dynamics of political communication in India, highlighting the need for both political entities and influencers to navigate this space with integrity and accountability."
One of the key insights from the report is that influencers hold a distinct advantage in political discourse due to their unique combination of personal appeal and perceived authenticity. This allows them to tackle complex issues in ways that are both easy to understand and relatable for the average person. By using simple language and engaging stories, influencers can make difficult topics more approachable, encouraging greater public engagement.
The report emphasises that for political campaigns to effectively harness the power of influencer marketing, a strategic approach is essential. This approach must combine the influencers' extensive reach and authenticity with messaging that is factual, clear, and responsible.
Collaborating with influencers allows government departments to "reach established audiences and convey important messages in a way that feels authentic and relatable". This partnership, as per the report, creates an avenue for the government to communicate its initiatives, policies, and messages through channels that resonate with the public, thus enhancing their outreach efforts.
Moreover, Zefmo points out that these collaborations often involve influencers who are regarded as genuine supporters of "community interests or causes". Since these partnerships are typically framed as community-focused efforts rather than direct paid promotions, they significantly enhance the credibility of the government's messages.
"This authenticity boosts public trust and makes the government's communications appear more trustworthy, effectively bridging the gap between political entities and the citizens they serve," the report read.
Governments Tap Influencers for Public Outreach
About 37% of respondents, who are themselves influencers, report an increase in collaborations with government departments in India. "These partnerships predominantly adopt a non-commercial approach, focusing on public communication and awareness rather than direct endorsements," the survey noted.
In its "Viral for Votes" series, Decode too had explored how political parties, particularly before elections, relied on influencers to promote themselves on social media omitting the disclaimers or "sponsored" tags. For instance, influencers Harsh Patel and Akash Choudhary told Decode that they received compensation from the Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh governments to promote their "culture," but they chose not to disclose this as a "paid partnership" or "ad" in their reels.
While these UP-based influencers did not receive payments for some of their most-viewed content featuring famous temples, they did gain access to these heavily secured temple premises as a form of favour. Since Instagram's policies do not categorise this "favour" as a formal business arrangement, they are not obligated to disclose the association.
Notably, the period leading up to the inauguration of the Ram Mandir on January 22, 2024, saw a surge of influencers promoting both the event and the political party—the BJP—that facilitated it. The construction of Ram Mandir was one of the promises made by the incumbent party in their manifesto.
Digital Creator Harshvardhan Patel 'Ayodhyawale'
In Bhopal, Malay Dixit, the president of the Indore BJP IT Cell, coordinated a "Ramotsav Yatra" involving 250 influencers to cover the "Ram Van Gaman Path". This initiative resulted in the creation of numerous reels and vlogs that highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the builder of the temple.
In a similar vein, numerous 'Sanatan influencers' secured brand collaborations and gained recognition from the Uttar Pradesh tourism ministry. The state government proactively allocated funds to develop content highlighting Ayodhya as a travel destination, thereby enhancing the influencer economy in the region.
Several influencers have also been 'rewarded' immensely owing to their politically-themed content. For instance, Indore-based influencer Veer Sharma, along with his partner Parul Ahirwar, became 'lavish influencers' for the BJP by promoting government schemes through videos.
In March, just before the Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi awarded the National Creators Awards to 23 creators for their contributions to social change, culture, and education. Despite Modi's claims that the awards were unrelated to the elections, Decode found that the government spent over Rs 2.4 crore on social media promotions, including Rs 1.4 crore on Meta ads featuring influencers praising Modi.
Many winners and nominees expressed a willingness to collaborate with the government to raise awareness about its schemes.
Jaya Kishori received National Creators Award
Political parties are not limiting their efforts to election periods; they are actively developing schemes to engage influencers and digital creators in promoting state government development projects. Recently, the state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Assam introduced policies to empanel creators with substantial followings to highlight the advancements in their regions.